Forrester Research Marketing Forum 2016 recently held in New York talks about marketing in a post-digital world. At the event, analyst Carl Doty talked about the post-digital world being embedded in our day to day tasks. The main theme was the evolution of marketing highlighting the pre-digital marketing, digital marketing, and post-digital marketing trends.

Pre-Digital Marketing: Using mass media in a one-to-many approach.

Digital Marketing: Data-driven and one-to-one personalization.

Post-Digital Marketing: One-to-moment marketing.

For the past few years, one-to-moment marketing has been on of the major focuses of major brands and thought leaders. Google rolled out a large body of research about micro-moments and when consumers use their mobile devices for making decisions like what to buy, things to go, and places to go.

Ever since 2015, Google has been updating its research with examples of brands that know how to create contextual content. For example, mobile wallet offers that are relevant during those crucial times of decision making.

According to Deloitte reports, Americans check their smartphones collectively 8 billion times a day.

Therefore, the key for brands is to be available to them during those moments with content that can help them to analyze what to do and where to go instead of popping useless ads.

“Marketers must win in customers’ moments. These moments are your opportunity to deliver your brand promise no matter when or where that customer is.” – Doty

This means understanding what a customer wants and being present at that time with the right set of information.

Here are examples of big four players in the marketplace- Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon on how they are embedding themselves in every moment.

Google Now

Launched in 2012, Google took a huge step to winning consumer’s micro-moments with Google Now. It is significant because Google Now understands the search behavior and enthusiastically offers suggestions on where to go, what to buy, and what to do on the basis of your search habits.

Google does not intend to give up ground to anyone.

Google Now has become helpful for both brands and consumers. For consumers, they assist them in their decision-making process. For brands, they serve information about them for instance, where to buy ice tea based on the data that brands have shared with Google. With the addition of sharing location data with Google, it has made it even more essential for businesses.

Apple iOS 9

Launched in 2015, iOS 9 is a simple swipe of your home screen results in Apple Spotlight search offering moment-based suggestions depending on the time of day. For instance, Apple gives suggestions for tea near me in the morning, lunch near me in the afternoon, and dinner near me in the night. With iOS 9, Apple’s importance has been increased as a critical data publisher for brands.

Amazon Echo and Dash

Launched on March 31, 2015, Amazon’s Dash button was utility in its own day. This button makes it possible for consumers to order products like detergent on demand by just pressing a smart button that you place in your home. A year later, Amazon rolled out 100 plus buttons for major brands ranging from Red Bull to Tide.

With these buttons, Amazon has turned our homes into smart appliances and has created a bonus for customers to join its premium Prime program. Amazon also released Echo device that makes the home a stronger hub for utility, entertainment, and search via voice-activated commands.

Facebook bots

With the introduction of bots to Fb Messenger in 2016, Facebook made a huge bid for micro-moments. Bots are somewhat like Dash buttons amalgamated in Facebook from where you can order whatever you want from brands instantly using messenger.

Google

Gboard Keyboard was launched by Google on May 3rd which indicates that Google is not ready to give up ground to no one. This keyboard turns the normal keyboard into a rich discovery tool. For instance, you can easily search emojis to send via email or text.

It removes all the hurdles of sharing and searching. Google talked about a number of products for utility during Google I/O 2016. Some of them are:

Google Assistant

A smart search utility that helps the users to ask more open-ended questions and having more intelligent results similar to Google Now, however, smarter. For instance, you can use Google Assistant to ask questions like ‘I want to see that new movie directed by Sanjay Leela Bansali.’

Google Assistant is based on context. You will get intelligent answers on the basis of changing context.

Allo

This is a smart messaging app that is based on Google Assistant to understand the context of images and symbols to help users communicate and perform difficult tasks via messaging. For instance, Allo can be used as a smart reasoning and recognition app.

Google Home

This is one of the most awaited devices launched by Google. It relies on Google Assistant in order to manage tasks in the home, search for services, products, and play music similar to Amazon Echo’s functions. However, Google Home will be made available by the end of this year. For instance, you can use Google Home could be used for asking questions like ‘Have any new coffee shops opened near me?’

Who is the Bigger Player?

Be it Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon are all relying on natural human gestures and utility in order to steal user’s attention from each other. Facebook with a click of bots, Apple using the swipe, Google with texting and typing, and Amazon with the press of a button.

Embedding themselves into natural consumer behaviors and this makes them want to win in micro-moments. These big companies are collecting valuable consumer data that could be used to serve up more relevant content to their users on the basis of check-ins, searches, social media activity, and purchases.

However, the final call will be made by consumers. They will decide who wins on the basis of the utility and also, the brands that form relationships with the big four will position themselves to win micro-moments.

Sakshi is a content marketer during the day and a reader by night. She writes content sprinkled with a twisted imagination. She has done her graduation in psychology from Delhi University and has an insane love for history.